erving man under the chimney put the
meat into his mouth and kept on eating. And so every one finished what
he had been doing at the moment of enchantment. The horses, too, came
to life and stamped and neighed.

Around the castle the trees burst into leaf. Flowers covered the
meadows. High in the heavens the lark sang, and in the flowing river
there were shoals of tiny fish. Everything was alive again, everything
happy.

The knights who had been restored to life gathered in the hall to
thank the prince for their deliverance. But the prince said to them:

"You have nothing to thank me for. If it had not been for these, my
three trusty servants, Longshanks, Girth, and Keen, I should have met
the same fate as you."

The prince set out at once on his journey home with his bride and his
three serving men. When he reached home the old king, who had given
him up for lost, wept for joy at his unexpected return.

All the knights whom the prince had rescued were invited to the
wedding which took place at once and lasted for three weeks.

When it was over, Longshanks, Girth, and Keen presented themselves to
the young king and told him that they were again going out into the
world to look for work. The young king urged them to stay.

"I will give you everything you need as long as you live," he promised
them, "and you won't have to exert yourselves at all."

But such an idle life was not to their liking. So they took their
leave and started out again and to this day they are still knocking
around somewhere.

THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS

THE STORY OF A CHARCOAL-BURNER'S SON WHO MARRIED A PRINCESS

[Illustration: {A stag}]

THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS

There was once a king who took great delight in hunting. One day he
followed a stag a great distance into the forest. He went on and on
until he lost his way. Night fell and the king by happy chance came
upon a clearing where a charcoal-burner had a cottage. The king asked
the charcoal-burner to lead him out of the forest and offered to pay
him handsomely.

"I'd be glad to go with you," the charcoal-burner said, "but my wife
is expecting the birth of a child and I cannot leave her. It is too
late for you to start out alone. Won't you spend the night here? Lie
down on some hay in the garret and tomorrow I'll be your guide."

The king had to accept this arrangement. He climbed into the garret
and lay down on the floor. Soon afterwards a son was born to the
charcoal-burn